'Bonnie and Clyde' comes to Loveland from Broadway

Up in Lights gets rights for regional premiere of the musical

Noelle Pedersen and Michael Schluter play Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde," opening Friday, July 12, at the Rialto Theater Center. (Special to Go/Something Random Media)

Noelle Pedersen and Michael Schluter play Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in the musical "Bonnie and Clyde," opening Friday, July 12, at the Rialto Theater Center.
(Special to Go/Something Random Media)

The edge-of-your-seat musical about the real life story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow will be presented this month at the Rialto Theater in Loveland by Up in Lights Productions.

Subtitled "America's Most Wanted Musical," the riveting tale takes place during the Great Depression. It follows the criminal duo as they long for a life of adventure outside of rural America, eventually becoming the nation's most notorious outlaws of their time.

Britni Girard, producer and artistic director of "Bonnie and Clyde," is very proud to have gotten the opportunity to showcase a production that only left Broadway in 2012. "We applied for the rights and figured it would be a long-shot considering it was just released," she said, "and we ended up being the first company to get to produce it since it's been on Broadway. [The licensing house] limited the number of people who get to perform it."

The history of Bonnie and Clyde takes place in 1930 Texas when the two met through mutual friends. By 1932, the couple assembled a small gang, which would rob small-town general stores, gas stations and a handful of banks. Car theft was also a regular method of deviance for the group.

Several more incidents occurred in Texas, Missouri, Minnesota and Indiana the following two years, resulting in the deaths of lawmen and civilians at the hands of the Bonnie and Clyde's gang. Photos recovered by the police and released by the press suggested the gang led a life of adventure and glamour. On the contrary, gang member Blanche Barrow later wrote in prison that it was a time of cooking by campfire and bathing in cold streams.

GO & DO

"Bonnie and Clyde"

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 12-13 and July 19-20; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14 and July 21.

The couple met their demise in 1934 while being tracked by the FBI on the premise of a stolen vehicle in New Orleans. A posse of FBI agents as well as Texas and Louisiana law enforcement officials eventually located Bonnie and Clyde in a rural part of Louisiana, quickly killing them in an ambush.

The music of "Bonnie and Clyde" features an "eclectic mix" combining blues, gospel and rockabilly. "You almost feel like you're watching a movie," Girard said. "It's very cinematic the way the music is written." The production features a live band and all musicians are from the Front Range.

The true story of Bonnie and Clyde is a violent one, and Girard expressed the challenge it took in containing this action packed adventure to the stage. "We wanted to make sure that we were being true to the story, but also making sure we were honoring the values of our community" Girard said. "The fun thing about this production is that it does have all the action and intensity, but it also has some comedy. So there's a really beautiful balance written into the script." she said.

"[The leads] are absolutely brilliant, some of the most incredible actors I've worked with," Girard said. "They bring Bonnie and Clyde to life on stage." Bonnie and Clyde are played by Noelle Pedersen and Michael Schluter respectively.

"They perform with such incredible emotion," Girard said. "Every rehearsal, I'm on the edge of my seat watching them. Every time I watch it, it's like I'm watching it the first time...this is honestly one of the best shows we've produced,"